


Simple Kindnesses

by Sephypsycologist



Series: Tiny Underground Humans [2]
Category: Undertale
Genre: Gen, mentions of hard vore, mentions of humans as livestock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-25 01:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17111597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: Edge has never agreed with the practice of humans as livestock. He finally gets the proof he wanted that he's right.





	Simple Kindnesses

It wasn’t a fair world.

Edge had learned this early.

He had vivid memories of adults smacking him around, of seeing them knock Sans’ tooth out when he tried to defend his little brother…

And of them shoving fried human legs into his mouth against his will.

He shuddered. Now that he was grown, he didn’t get forced like that, but he still had to swallow his own disgust before eating the human they fed him to keep up appearances.

It made him sick, and he’d regularly (if involuntarily) excuse himself and vomit after choking the mess down.

It was pathetic, and he knew it, but even the vice-captain of the Royal Guard couldn’t stand the custom of eating the pitiful beings that were the humans of the Underground. The only captured humans of the great war were shrunken for easy carrying and then locked below with their captors. And, slowly, the large population of humans was used as a food supplement since there was no game.

Supposedly their intelligence had left with their soul power long ago but…Edge always avoided the tank full of the little things when at the grocery store. Their eyes were just too hollow for something that didn’t understand they were going to die horribly.

Today he had no choice, though. It was the anniversary of the first captured soul, and a national holiday. He’d been charged with gathering enough humans for the celebration feast in the guard, by Undyne, of course. Though they were on good terms, his commander knew of his aversion and was doing this to needle him.

At the store, he saw only eight human bodies in the cooler case and a passel of live specimens huddled close in a clear tank, shivering in their nudity.

“Ah, Vice Captain!” The back of store clerk perked at seeing him. “I didn’t expect someone of your importance in today. What can I do for you?”

“I REQUIRE NINE HUMANS. IT SEEMS YOU ARE ONE SHORT,” Papyrus muttered curtly, disliking the inconvenience.

“I can correct that!” The slight at his shop worried the clerk, since Papyrus had enough power to shut them down if he so chose. “L-let me just get one of these other ones dead and shaved.”

His soul froze, “NO.” Edge growled, trying to cover up the way his eye lights were bright with terror. “I’LL TAKE ONE ALIVE. OR WOULD YOU DARE TO STEAL EVEN A SLIVER OF MY RIGHTFUL EXP?”

“N-no sir! Of course not sir!” The sweating rabbit grabbed one of the humans in the tank by the hair, making them scream as he stuffed them into a box with the eight dead ones. “Here you are, full order of humans! O-on me, of course!”

“I THOUGHT AS MUCH.” Huffing, Papyrus snatched the box and stormed out of the store.

–

The screaming, scrambling, and sobbing from inside the white plastic box was horrendous.

He had to do something about it, and so Papyrus stopped by home. Stealthily entering his room, he opened the box to find the living human shivering in terror and disgust among the butterflied bodies.

It was easy to pluck them out, which made them scream again, but he shushed them as he set the box down on his desk, “HUMAN, PLEASE. CEASE THESE HYSTERICS.”

The surprising thing was they nodded and tried to silence themselves, hand over their mouth as they looked up at him fearfully.

“CAN…” he switched to his softer, home voice, “Can you understand me, human? If so, if you could speak?” Papyrus’ soul was quivering in a strange, strangled excitement. Were they truly alive, like he was? Had there been intelligence there all this time?

“Y-yes,” they squeaked and he had to catch his balance.

Good stars, they were sentient beings. No wonder killing them gave EXP, no matter how small an amount. The one in his hand had tears running down their face, dirty and shaking as their long hair lay in greasy strings around their thin shoulders.

“Alright. You’re going to stay here where it’s safer for you, then,” he sighed, gently setting them in a box full of buttons and scrap fabric on the same desk. “Stay quiet and try to get some rest, human. I’ll be back in a few hours to talk some more, alright? My name is Papyrus, by the way. Do you have one?”

“No,” they whispered, shaking still despite them wrapping up in a purple and green polka-dot remnant.

“Then…” he sighed, thinking for a moment. “Let’s call you Faith. Because if we are going to get through this, as two sentient beings together, we must have faith and trust in each other. I realize that isn’t going to be easy for you, but it is what must happen if we’re going to survive this.”

The human nodded, speechless, and Papyrus sighed before picking up the corpse box and leaving.

–

“WHAT the HELL , Papyrus, you’re one short!” Undyne growled as he showed her the box.

“OH AM I?” He smirked as he looked at her. “COULD I NOT HAVE HAD MINE ON THE WAY OVER, OH GREAT CAPTAIN?”

“Yeah, I mean, you could have, but you! don’t like! Eating humans!” She smacked the table repeatedly as she spoke. “And watching you squirm about it was the whole reason I chose you, and you know that!”

“I DO KNOW THAT. HENCE WHY I SAVED MYSELF THE TROUBLE. YOU HAVE NO PROOF EITHER WAY, AND EVEN IF YOU QUESTOINED THE SHOPKEEPER, HE’D TELL YOU HE GAVE ME NINE OF THEM.” He loved when he thwarted her, even when it was playful teasing like this.

“GRAAAH! Fine! But don’t think I’ll let this go.” She huffed and went to the kitchen of her house, “Let me get these cooked up. But you have to sit here until everyone comes.”

“FINE.” He grinned, sitting at the table and easily being able to avoid looking at what she was doing by messing with his phone.

–

It was late when Papyrus came home, but he still came home before his brother. That gave him enough time to cook some modest food for the human upstairs. He was very good at cooking, having learned to do things himself and having to be sparing when he and his brother were destitute.

Tired, he went upstairs and locked his door, “If he’s out this late, Sans will be drunk and I’m not dealing with that tonight.” He brought the little bit of food for the human and looked into the box he left them in.

They were trying to hide behind some of the remnants and buttons, but Papyrus gently asked, “Could you not hide, please, Faith? I brought food, as promised, and I would like to have a talk with you.”

He was one of the few in the Underground who knew how to be easy and gentle with things. Usually he used this voice on abused children as they were being taken to a more suitable environment, or when he talked to Doomfanger, his semi-feral cat that lived in the ‘punishment shed’ which his brother just called the garage.

Shaking, Faith let the buttons fall and whimpered. They were still terrified of him, but he set their serving of food into the box, “There you go. You can eat while I talk with you.”

Faith nodded and began to eat, clearly very hungry from how fast they went. Papyrus just sighed, “Alright, there are going to be some guidelines I’d like you to follow. I won’t hurt you if you don’t, and I won’t be angry. These rules are more for your safety than any preference of mine.”

The human just nodded as they listened to him.

“My brother, Sans, is rather fond of eating humans, as much as he understands that I am not. You have to stay away from him for your own good.” This sobered the human more, making them eat slower. “He does not come into this room, so you’re most safe here. I am the Vice Captain of the Royal guard, and thus have many responsibilities outside. Please ask me for things you might need, and I will try my best to provide them for you.”

Faith nodded, finishing their food and curling up.

Unable to help himself, Papyrus gave them a soft smile, “And most of all, try to relax. I want to be your friend, Faith. Friends are so hard to come by in this world, and if anyone needs one, it’s you.”

“I…” Faith swallowed thickly before looking up at him uncertainly, “I’ll try, Papyrus.”

“That’s all I’m asking for. Thank you, Faith. Oh,” He seemed to realize something. “I’ll start working on some clothes for you on my down time. You’ll feel much better with real clothes. In the meantime, do you want me to teach you how to make a toga or a sari from those remnants?”

The suggestion of clothes was astounding, making the small being drop their jaw in shock. Still, they recovered quickly and nodded.

“Alright, here.” Explaining slowly, he used his blanket from his bed to demonstrate for them, and the human followed the steps very diligently.

Now that they were fed and dressed, Papyrus sighed, “I’m going to change into my sleepwear, do my routine, and go to bed. I’d suggest you sleep as well, Faith, if only to keep our schedules close for practicality’s sake.”

Faith nodded and curled up, arranging their nest of remnants to their liking while Papyrus got his black silk pajamas on and brushed his teeth.

He turned off the light and said gently as he turned in, “Goodnight, Faith. Sleep well.”

A smile remained on his face as he heard a small, “G-goodnight….Papyrus.”

–

As expected, Sans was fast asleep on the sofa when Papyrus went downstairs in the morning.

He started the coffee going, then made himself and Faith breakfast before heading back upstairs.

By the time he got upstairs, Faith was sleepily blinking up at him from their box in a freshly tied toga. “Good morning, little human. Here is breakfast, and I’ll be eating up here with you as well.”

The human nodded, and Papyrus sat on the edge of the bed so as to be close enough to talk to them. “Sans is downstairs, but he won’t be coming in here at all. You’re safe, so long as you stay here. Now,” He took a bite and quickly swallowed it so he could make progress, “I know it might get a little dull in here on your own, but feel free explore the room, or use the computer if you can.”

“I…I don’t know what that is,” Faith murmured, and Papyrus shook his head.

“Ah, I should have thought about that. Can you read, Faith?”

“N-no,” they answered, and sadly ate their eggs.

This made Papyrus start thinking, mulling the issues over as he ate. By the time he was done, he had a temporary solution. “Alright, first we’ll clean the dishes, then, while I change, I’ll explain things to you.”

The trip was fast, quickly slipping down and back without waking Sans at all.

“Alright,” he stared as he headed toward the closet. “The first order of business then is to teach you to read.” Papyrus was talking mostly to himself, despite addressing Faith. The tiny human listened as he shuffled about in the closet as he dressed, “Reading will be a most useful skill, and once you can read, you’ll be able to much more easily entertain yourself without wandering too far from safety. My books, my computer and the whole undernet, all of that will be open to you to help pass the time till I can return.”

He came back out in his imposing guard armor, and sighed, “But that is all I can do for today. Stay quiet, stay safe, and I will be back after my shift, dear Faith.”

Though they flinched when he approached, Edge felt them lean into his touch as he gently stroked their back in a goodbye gesture. “Try to relax, if you can, little one. And have a good day.”

Edge left and sighed. He hoped that his human would do well on their own. And he hoped he was right in trusting Sans to stay out of his room.


End file.
